Portable anchor light

ABSTRACT

A portable anchor light comprises a body, a lamp mounted in an upper portion of the body so as to be visible at all points around the circumference of the body, a connector for connecting a halyard for the mast to the light such that the light is elevated to a position above the top of the mast when the light is oriented vertically and raised to the top of the mast, and a mechanism for maintaining vertical orientation of the light when the light is raised to the top of the mast. The light can be raised with the halyard to the top of the mast and can be lowered either by pulling an electrical cord interconnecting the light with the electrical system of the sailboat or by attaching a down haul to the light.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] Maritime regulations require that sailboats of a certain sizedisplay an anchor light above the highest point on the sailboat mastwhen the sailboat is anchored in a non-designated mooring area. Thelight must be visible at all points around the mast. Usually theseregulations are complied with by mounting a fixed light at the top ofthe mast and interconnecting the light with the sailboat electricalsystem with an electrical cord that extends downwardly through thehollow interior of the sailboat mast. Permanent lights are somewhatexpensive and expensive to install. Moreover, when periodic maintenanceof the light is required, it is necessary to climb the mast or tip theboat on its side so that the top of the mast is accessible. Because ofthe expense and inconvenience of a permanently installed light, thereare more than a few sailboats that do not comply with this regulation.

[0002] The object of the present invention is to provide a relativelyinexpensive, portable light that can be raised to the top of a mast whendesired and removed from the mast when not in use.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A portable anchor light comprises a body, a lamp mounted in anupper portion of the body so as to be visible at all points around thecircumference of the body, a connector for connecting a halyard for themast to the light such that the lamp is positioned above the top of themast when the light is oriented vertically and raised to the top of themast, and a mechanism for maintaining vertical orientation of the lightwhen the light is raised to the top of the mast.

[0004] The light can be raised with the halyard to the top of the mastwhen desired and can be lowered either by pulling an electrical cordinterconnecting the light with the electrical system of the sailboat orby attaching a down haul to the light.

[0005] A number of methods can be used to maintain the light in verticalorientation. An effective and simple way and the preferred way is toattach the halyard to a lower end of the light, run the halyard upwardlyalong the light, and attach the halyard to the side of the light by oneor more releasable straps. The highest strap is positioned sufficientlybelow the top of the light so that the lamp extends above the top of themast when the light is fully raised by the halyard.

[0006] These and other features, objects, and benefits of the inventionwill be recognized by one having ordinary skill in the art and by thosewho practice the invention, from the specification, the claims, and thedrawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0007]FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a first embodimentof the present invention mounted on a sailboat mast.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the light of FIG.1 mounted at the top of the mast.

[0009]FIG. 3 is a top view of the light of FIG. 2.

[0010]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of alight of the present invention mounted of the top of a mast.

[0011]FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of thepresent invention mounted at the top of a mast.

[0012]FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5.

[0013]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of thepresent invention mounted at the top of the mast.

[0014]FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along lines 8-8 of FIG. 7.

[0015]FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a fifth embodiment of thepresent invention mounted at the top of a mast.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Referring to the drawings, a first embodiment 10 of a lightconstructed in accordance with the present invention is shown mounted ona sailboat 12 in FIG. 1. Sailboat 12 included a hull 14 and a mast 16extending upwardly from the hull. These elements are shownschematically. A block or pulley 18 is mounted on an axle 19 in afitting 21 at the top of the mast, and a line 20, called a halyard,extends over the block for the purpose of raising the sail of thesailboat. One end of the halyard includes a clip or shackle 22 forattaching the halyard to a sail for raising the sail up the mast. Theopposite end 24 of the halyard is manipulated by a sailor to raise thesail up the mast. The other end of the halyard is secured to the mast bya cleat 26 or other fastener. These elements are all conventional.

[0017] Light 10 of the present invention includes an elongated tubularbody 30 with end caps 32 and 34 mounted on opposite upper and lower endsof the tube. The tube can be conventional PVC tubing of the type usedfor plumbing and electrical applications. A lamp 36 is mounted in uppercap 32 and shines outwardly through a transparent or translucent dome38. The lamp is visible from all points around the light when the lightis maintained in a vertical orientation as shown in the drawings.

[0018] Lamp 36 desirably is connected to a source of electrical power bymeans of an electrical cord 40 that extends from the light downwardlythrough lower end cap 34 to a connector such as a plug 42 (FIG. 1),which is connected to an electrical socket 44 in the sailboat. The cordis clamped to lower end cap 34 by a strain relief connector or fitting46 attached to an opening in lower end cap 34. Connector 46 clampselectrical cord 40 to the end cap 34 so that the downward weight of thecord and any downward pulling of the cord is resisted by fitting 46 andis not transmitted to the lamp itself, which could break the electricalcircuit.

[0019] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, the clip 22 on the end of thehalyard is clipped around cord 40 at the lower end of the light. Thehalyard then runs upwardly along the side of body 30 and then over block18 and downwardly to end 24. The halyard is maintained in a position onthe side of body 30 by at least one and preferably two spaced straps 52and 54 that encircle the body. Straps 52 and 54 are attached to the bodyby rivets 56 and 58 or other suitable fasteners. Desirably, the strapshave, open, overlapping ends such as ends 60 and 62, as shown in FIG. 3.The overlapping ends preferably are attached together by a hook and loopfastener or other suitable fastening means to provide a strap that canbe fastened in a loop and released when desired. Desirably, the strapsare wrapped around halyard 20 and lock it in place on the side of thebody 30 of the light.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the highest strap 52 is positioned below lamp36 at the upper end of the light a sufficient distance that when thehalyard is raised as far as it will go (which is when the strap 52 israised to the point of contact with block 18) lamp 36 will protrudeabove the top of the mast so as to be visible from a 360 degree anglearound the mast.

[0021] The halyard will hold the lamp tightly to the side of the mast atthe point of attachment of strap 52. The vertical orientation of thelight, with the lamp at the upper end of the light, is maintained by theweight of the electrical cord 40 as it hangs downwardly from a lower endof the lamp to the deck of the sailboat. A size 18, two conductor, SJOportable cord can be used the electrical cord. This has sufficientweight to anchor the lower end of the light in a vertical orientationbut does not weigh so much so that the cable is cumbersome. The use oftwo straps holds the light vertical and provides a safety feature tomake sure that the light remains attached to the halyard at the side ofthe light body.

[0022] While the foregoing is the preferred method for attaching thehalyard to the light, other methods can also be used. Other examples ofattachment mechanisms are shown in FIGS. 4-9. For purposes ofillustration, common elements of the figures are identified with thesame numerals.

[0023] Light 70 of FIG. 4 is the same as light 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2, withthe exception that the light is attached to the halyard by means of aneye bolt 76 bolted to the side of the tube or other fastening device(which also could be the strap of FIG. 1). The electrical cord 74 holdsthe lamp in vertical orientation.

[0024] In FIG. 5, light 80 is attached to clip 22 on halyard 20 in thesame manner as FIG. 4 (by an eye bolt, 82 or other clip). In thisfigure, however, the light is maintained in vertical orientation atleast partially by a somewhat different mounting mechanism. In manysailboats, the sail is raised on the mast by means of a grooved externaltrack 86, which is usually attached to the side of a mast by means of aslot 88 that extends the length of the mast. A plate 90 typically ispositioned inside the slot, and the track is bolted to the plate bymeans of a bolt 92. This is conventional. Typically, a car 94 havingwheels 96 mounted on opposite ends thereof is mounted on the track, withthe wheels running on opposite sides of the track. The sail of the boatis attached to such cars and raised and lowered in the track. In orderto raise the light of FIGS. 5 and 6, cars 94 (which may be one or more)are attached to the sides of body 98 of the light. Such attachment maybe by a bolt 100 that extends through the side of the body of the light.By mounting the light on cars that are positively retained in the trackon the sailboat mast, the vertical orientation and upward position ofthe lamp can be maintained

[0025] Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 7.This embodiment takes advantage of the grooved longitudinal slot in thesailboat mast, which is sometimes used for purposes of raising andlowering the sail. In this embodiment, light 110, having body 112,includes a T-shaped mounting member 114 bolted or otherwise fastened inthe side of the body. The head 116 of the T-shaped member fits inside ofthe slot 118 in the mast, with a narrower neck 120 fitting through slot118 in the mast. The T-shaped member thus holds the body of the light tothe side of the mast while at the same time permitting the light to beraised and lowered along the side of the mast. One or two or more (ifdesired) T-shaped members 114 can be used in this construction. AnotherT-shaped member 114′ (shown in phantom in FIG. 7) can be attached to thecord or a line extending downwardly from the lower end of the light.

[0026] Without the weight of the electrical cord, other means arenecessary to hold the lamp in the proper vertical orientation. Weight ofthe batteries tends to do this. In addition, the use of more than onespaced T-shaped member or attachment means for attaching the light tothe mast will maintain vertical orientation. This embodiment could beoperated by an electrical cord as in the previous embodiments. When thebatteries are used, it is necessary to employ a down haul 124 attachedto an eye bolt 126 or other fastener at the bottom of the light. Thedown haul is a line that permits the sailor to pull the light down onthe mast when it is desired to lower and remove the light.

[0027] Still another embodiment 130 of the light of the presentinvention is shown in FIG. 9. In this embodiment, body 132 of the lightis attached to clip 22 of halyard by an eye bolt 134 as described above.Or it could be attached to cable 136 at the bottom of the light, asdescribed in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, a strap 138 attached to thebody of the light by a rivet or other fastener 140 has open overlappingends which are attached together by hook and loop fasteners, as shown inFIG. 1. In this embodiment, however, strap 138 is long enough so that itcan encircle the entire mast, thus loosely holding the lower end of thelight to the mast as it is raised and lowered. This construction onlyworks on masts that do not have spreaders or other obstructive elementsalong the mast.

[0028] In addition to the foregoing, it is contemplated that differentlight shapes and different mechanisms for maintaining the orientation ofthe light can be employed. The main feature of all such attachmentmechanisms, however, is that the lamp itself should be positioned highenough on the mast so that the lamp is visible from a 360 degree anglearound the mast and that the light is not obscured at some point by theside of the mast. The embodiment of FIGS. 1-3 is the preferredembodiment of the present invention because of simplicity anddemonstrated effectiveness.

[0029] In order to lower the light from the top of the mast, it is usualto pull downwardly on the electrical cord attaching the light to themast. A separate down haul attached to the lower end of the light alsocould be employed. The weight of the light itself will induce loweringof the light, but a positive means for lowering the light is preferable.

[0030] It should be understood that the foregoing is merely exemplary ofthe present invention and that various changes in the arrangements anddetails of construction of the invention may be made without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the present invention.

I claim:
 1. A portable anchor light for a sailboat having a mast and ahalyard for raising a sail on the mast, comprising: a body; a lampmounted in an upper portion of the body so as to be visible atsubstantially all points around the outer periphery of the body; aconnector for releasibly attaching the halyard to the light in such amanner that the lamp is elevated to a position above the top of the mastwhen the halyard is raised to a raised position, the connector beingpositioned such that the lamp extends above the top of the mast when thelight is fully raised with the light oriented in an upward position; andorientation means for orienting the light in an upward position when thelight is fully raised to the top of the mast.
 2. A portable anchor lightaccording to claim 1 wherein the halyard is connected to the body at apoint of attachment below the lamp when the light is oriented in anupward position, such that the lamp extends above the top of the mastwhen the halyard is raised until the point of attachment is at the topof the mast.
 3. A portable anchor light according to claim 2 wherein thelight includes an electrical power cord connected at one end of thelamp, an opposite end of the cord being connected to a sailboatelectrical power supply in the sailboat.
 4. A portable anchor lightaccording to claim 3 wherein the electrical cord serves as a means tolower the light, and the weight of the cord urges the light to remain inan upward position.
 5. A portable anchor light according to claim 3wherein the cord is held in the body by a clamp spaced below a lampelectrical connection, such that the weight of the cord and any pull onthe cord is borne primarily by the clamp and not by the lamp electricalconnection.
 6. A portable anchor light according to claim 1 whereinmeans for illuminating the lamp are incorporated into the light.
 7. Aportable anchor light according to claim 1 wherein the lamp is poweredby one or more batteries positioned in the body below the lamp, theweight of the one or more batteries urging the light to remain in anupward position, the light being lowered down the mast by a downhaulline connected to the light and extending downwardly to a deck of thesailboat.
 8. A portable anchor light according to claim 3 wherein thehalyard has an end that is connected to the electrical cord at a bottomend of the body and extends upwardly along the body of the light, thehalyard being strapped to the body of the light by one or more straps,an upper strap being positioned at the point of attachment below thelamp.
 9. A portable anchor light according to claim 8 wherein at leastone strap comprises a flexible band fixed at a given position to thebody and having ends that can wrap around the halyard and hold it to thebody at the point of attachment, the strap having end portions that areconnected together by releasable fasteners.
 10. A portable anchor lightaccording to claim 1 wherein the mast has a sail track that runs alongthe mast, the light having one or more longitudinally spaced fittingsthat engage the sail track and hold the light to the mast.
 11. Aportable anchor light according to claim 10 wherein an upper fitting isattached to the light body at a point of attachment below the lamp andthe halyard is connected to the upper fitting.
 12. A portable anchorlight according to claim 10 wherein the lamp has at least twolongitudinally spaced fittings that engage the sail track, the twofittings maintaining the upward orientation of the light.
 13. A portableanchor light according to claim 10 wherein the sail track is a slot inthe mast and the one or more fittings slidably ride in the slot.
 14. Aportable anchor light according to claim 10 wherein the sail trackcomprises an external track attached to an outer side of the mast, theone or more fittings being mounted on and riding along the track.
 15. Aportable light according to claim 2 wherein the light includes an eyebolt type of fastener attached to a side thereof, and the halyard clipsto the eye bolt.
 16. A portable anchor light for a sailboat having amast and a halyard for raising a sail to the top of the mast, theportable light comprising: an elongated body; a lamp mounted at anupward position on the body so as to be visible at substantially allpoints around the body; and an attachment means for attaching the lightto the halyard at a lower position on the body such that the lampextends above the top of the mast when the halyard is raised to a raisedposition.